NEMA intensifies crackdown on banned plastic bags with Nairobi facility raid

The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has stepped up its nationwide crackdown on banned single-use plastic carrier and flat bags, conducting a major raid on an illegal manufacturing facility in Njiru, Nairobi.

During the joint operation, NEMA enforcement officers uncovered an active manufacturing line operating in direct contravention of national environmental protection laws.

The crackdown resulted in the seizure of 90,695 illegal single-use plastic bags and the arrest of five suspects, including the facility's owner.

Following their arrest, the suspects were booked at the South B Police Station before being released on cash bail, pending formal arraignment at the Kibera Law Courts.

Reiterating its stance on environmental protection, NEMA Kenya emphasized that the countrywide ban on non-biodegradable flat and carrier plastic bags remains active and strictly enforced across all 47 counties.

Under Section 144 of the Environmental Management and Coordination Act (EMCA), the statutory penalties for manufacturing, importing, distributing, selling, or using banned plastic items are among the toughest in the region.

Individuals or corporate entities convicted of offenses face severe criminal liabilities, including monetary fines ranging between KES 2 million and KES 4 million, imprisonment terms of 1 to 4 years, or both. In addition to individual penalties, offending facilities face the permanent forfeiture and destruction of all seized manufacturing equipment and raw materials.

Environmental inspectors continue to monitor black-market distribution networks across major urban centers, targeting illicit entry points, warehouse hubs, and retail vendors attempting to bypass compliance standards.

The latest raid forms part of broader policy reforms by the Ministry of Environment and NEMA aimed at building a circular economy and streamlining solid waste management nationwide.

Beyond enforcing plastic carrier bag restrictions, the environmental authority is actively rolling out nationwide guidelines under the Sustainable Waste Management Act.

This framework requires households, commercial establishments, and municipal service providers to transition to 100% biodegradable garbage bags and adopt a standardized, color-coded waste segregation system at the source.

Under the mandatory framework, waste must be separated into three main categories prior to collection:

Green Bags: Designated strictly for organic and compostable waste, such as food scraps, yard waste, and biodegradable materials.

Blue Bags: Designated for dry recyclables, including paper, cardboard, metals, glass, and approved recyclable polymers.

Black Bags: Designated exclusively for general non-recyclable waste and residual trash destined for landfill processing.

By standardizing trash bag colors, NEMA aims to simplify municipal sorting pipelines, drastically reduce the volume of mixed waste sent to open dumpsites like Dandora, and boost Kenya's recycling sector.

While NEMA continues to scale up its unannounced raids on illicit manufacturers, environmental officers are urging public cooperation to ensure compliance at both consumer and commercial levels.

Property owners, waste management companies, and individual consumers are advised to verify that all trash disposal bags purchased for household or business use comply with NEMA’s color-coding directives and approved biodegradable specifications.